Women's basketball: CU Buffs dominate Utah

Buffs rebound from loss to Utes earlier in the week with big advantage in rebounding Sunday

Kyle Ringo Buffzone.com

Posted:
02/02/2014 01:45:19 PM MST

Updated:
02/02/2014 11:06:42 PM MST

Fast break

What went right?: Colorado dominated the fight for rebounds. Controlling the boards has been an indicator of success for the Buffs in nearly every game this season.

What went wrong?: CU committed 11 first-half turnovers, but its defense and rebounding more than made up for it.

Star of the game: Arielle Roberson broke out of her three-game scoring slump to register 00 points with 00 rebounds to lead the Buffs.

What's next?: Colorado travels to Oregon State for a 9 p.m. game Friday

The few hundred fans who turned out on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the Colorado women's basketball team take on Utah at the Coors Events Center saw something familiar on the court.

The Buffs played defense with intensity, they rebounded with eagerness and they ran away with an easy 61-45 victory just as they did so often in the first two months of the season.

It was the fewest points scored by a Pac-12 opponent this season.

Those first two successful months seemed like another season prior to Sunday. The Buffs had endured a stretch of 11 games over 39 days in which they went 3-8 and fell out of the national rankings and contention in the Pac-12 Conference regular season title. The latest loss in that stretch had come earlier in the week against the Utes in Salt Lake City.

But there they were looking more like their old selves Sunday.

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"We've always said we're our best when we have balance and today we were really balanced both in our scoring and in our rebounding, assists," CU coach Linda Lappe said. "You look down the stat sheet and everybody did their part, everybody did their job."

Colorado broke out of its 3-pointer drought less than 2 minutes into the game when forward Jen Reese drained her attempt from the wing. The Buffs had gone more than two complete games without making a 3-pointer, a span of 88 minutes, 56 seconds. CU finished with three made 3-pointers.

The Buffs took control down the stretch in the first half by dominating the rebounding battle first and foremost. CU finished the first half with a 15 rebound advantage which led to its heavy advantage on the scoreboard.

Colorado finished the game with six players grabbing at least five rebounds. It was the first time this season the Buffs had done so and it happened last at USC last season, also on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Buffs went on an 11-0 run to close the half and held the Utes without a made field goal over the final 4:12 of the half. Utah scored just 16 points in the first 20 minutes and the Buffs held a 17-point advantage at the break.

"We did a nice job of guarding their post players, who are their two leading scorers, and it really became a guards game," Lappe said. "We took them out of what they're used to doing and it always helps when you're finishing plays with a defensive rebound as well."

Six Buffs scored in the first half and CU welcomed back point guard Lexy Kresl, who came off the bench to play 4 minutes. Kresl had missed the previous three games with a right leg injury. Lappe cautioned that Kresl still could be limited because her leg is not completely healed.

Zoe Beard-Fails came off the bench to score six points in the first half. She had scored a combined total of six points in her previous seven games dating back to early December. Beard-Fails saw increased playing time because forward Jamee Swan was suspended for the first half for breaking team rules, Lappe said.

Smith and Roberson said the Buffs have chosen to adopt an underdog mentality now that they are no longer ranked and she believes that helped them Sunday and will continue to help the remainder of the season.

"We're fighting," Smith said. "We're not trying to protect anything now. We're just fighting trying to move our way up. I think the switch in mentality is going to be really good for us."

Utah never made a serious run to challenge CU in the second half. The Buffs played the entire second half leading by double digits.

In Utah's victory over the Buffs earlier in the week, the Utes managed to hold CU's two leading scorers - Reese and Roberson - to nine combined points. Reese and Roberson combined for 25 points and 14 rebounds Sunday.

Roberson led all scorers with 18 points after scoring just 19 points in the previous three games combined.

"I nthink it was looking to score more," Roberson said of the difference in her production Sunday. "Coach Jonas (Chatterton) was telling me, 'Just continue to be aggressive.' And telling me, 'They can't guard you.' And telling me all these great things. I guess I started to believe him. I guess I had more of an attacking mentality than I have in games past."